Alongside the art of the book, which was promoted by rulers at their courts and by religious scholars in mosques and Qur’an schools, Arabic calligraphy was also cultivated in the context of everyday religious practice. The popular calligraphy of Sufis and dervishes is an example of artistic expression which reflects piety and spirituality to a particular extent. Characterized by the harmony of their lines and the magic of their beauty, many of these works exhibit a special aura: decorating the walls of aesthetically designed rooms in dervish lodges (khanqah, tekke), they create not only an important visual dimension in veneration and...

For centuries, marbling art was an art form found only inside the covers of books. Contemporary artists and designers have rediscovered this versatile design motif, and marbled papers are now seen everywhere, in picture frames and lamp shades, wine labels and fine art. This ancient craft, named "ebru" (cloud art) by its 15th-century Persian practitioners, is now undergoing a renaissance. By most accounts, European-style paper marbling originated in Persia in the 1400s. The name of the first marbler is a mystery. The invention was probably an accidental one, made by some observant artists who noticed that paints would float...